Mobile app development in Brisbane, and web apps
Hello Portal builds web apps and mobile apps for businesses. A web app runs in a browser, and a mobile app lives on a phone. Which one you need depends on who will be using it and where.
It suits a business whose way of working doesn't fit ready-made software. If a product that already exists does the job, you probably don't need a new build.
Web app development
A web app runs in a web browser. People can open it on a computer or a phone without installing anything from an app store. Who will use it, and what they need to get done, is the place to start.
Web apps suit things like a customer portal, a booking tool, an internal dashboard or a form that feeds into your other systems. They tend to suit work that happens at a desk as well as on the move, since the same app opens wherever there's a browser.
Mobile app development
A mobile app lives on a phone and can use what the phone offers. Tell us what the app is for and who will have it in their pocket.
A phone has a camera, a location and notifications, which a browser can use only in part. If the idea depends on those, a mobile app is worth considering. If it doesn't, a web app may do the job with less to maintain.
Web app or mobile app?
The two are different tools, and the choice isn't always obvious. A rough guide:
| Web app | Mobile app | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | In a browser, on any device | Installed on a phone |
| Installing | Nothing to install | Downloaded from an app store |
| Best when | People use it at a desk or on the move | The idea needs the phone's own features |
Many jobs begin with one and add the other later. The conversation is the place to work out which comes first.
Apps built around your business
Ready-made software is written for many businesses at once, so it can leave gaps in how yours runs. A custom app is built around the way you actually work. Describe how you work today and what's getting in the way.
A common starting point is a job that lives in spreadsheets, email threads and somebody's memory. When one person's absence stops that job, there's usually room for software built around it.
What app development can involve
In general terms, an app job looks at these things:
- who will use the app, and what each of them needs to get done
- how the screens are laid out and how a person moves between them
- how the app is built, tested and put in people's hands
- how it connects to the other tools the business already runs
Exactly what a job includes is agreed in conversation. This list describes the field and isn't a fixed list.
Connecting your app to other tools
Most apps end up talking to other products. We can build integrations with products such as Google Workspace, Slack, HubSpot and Shopify, and many more. If you want AI features in the app, mention that too.
An app that doesn't connect to the rest of the business can become one more place to type the same thing twice. It's worth mapping those connections early.
How an app job runs
Each build is different. Most follow the same stages.
- A conversation. The problem, who's affected and how the work is done today.
- A plan. What the app should do is talked through and agreed before anything is built.
- Design. You see how the app will look and behave, and say what you'd change.
- Build and testing. The app is built and checked. You try it and report what's off.
- Launch. The app goes live. What happens after launch is worth talking about before it does.
Each job is quoted on request.
An example, in outline
This is an illustration, and not a client story. Picture a business that schedules site visits through a shared spreadsheet and a string of text messages. Everyone has a slightly different version of the plan, and one person's day off stops the whole thing. A first conversation would ask who needs to see the schedule, who changes it, and what they're using today. Those answers decide whether the job is a web app, a mobile app or neither.
Who this suits
An app build suits a business that:
- runs a process that off-the-shelf software handles badly
- wants something its customers or staff will use daily
- already has a tool, and wants it to talk to the other tools around it
It doesn't suit a business that just needs a ready-made product set up. Using the existing product is usually the simpler route.
What to bring to the first conversation
A finished spec isn't needed. Useful things to bring:
- a description of the problem, in plain words
- who will use the app, and roughly how many of them
- the tools the business already uses that the app should connect to
- sketches, screenshots of apps you like, or anything else that shows the idea
Questions worth asking any app developer
These questions suit any build. Hello Portal is no exception.
- Who owns the app once it's built? Settle it early.
- What happens when phone systems update? Apps need attention after launch, and it's worth knowing who gives it.
- Where is the data stored, and who can see it? If the app holds customer information, this matters from day one.
- How will people learn to use it? A good app needs little explanation, but it still needs some.
- What does the build cost, and what comes after it? The running costs can matter as much as the first bill.
How app development fits with the other services
An app often sits next to a website, so web design and maintenance is a common companion. If the app needs to talk to the tools a team already uses, or needs AI features, AI integration is the related page.
App terms in plain English
- API.
- A way for one piece of software to ask another for information or send it instructions.
- Integration.
- A working connection between two tools, so information moves without retyping.
- Prototype.
- A rough working version of an app, used to test an idea before the full build.
- Back end.
- The part of an app that stores data and does the processing behind the screens.
- Native app.
- A mobile app built for one phone system, such as iPhone or Android.
Questions about app development
What's the difference between a web app and a mobile app?
A web app runs in a browser, so it opens on any device without installing anything. A mobile app is installed on a phone and can use the phone's own features.
How much does an app cost?
Apps are quoted per job, on request, because it depends on what the app does. Describe the problem and ask for a quote.
Can the app work with the tools we already use?
Integrations can be built with products such as Google Workspace, Slack, HubSpot and Shopify, and many more. Say which tools matter, and they can be part of the plan.
Can you add AI features to an app?
Yes. AI app development is covered by the AI integration page, and it can sit inside a new build or an existing app.
Do I need an app, or will a website do?
Sometimes a website does the job. If people only need to read, or to fill in a form, a site may be enough. Apps earn their place when people need to do things, such as log in, track something or work with their own data.
Start with what the app should do
Describe the problem first. We can work out whether it's a web app, a mobile app or neither from there. The name and the logo can wait.
Product names are trademarks of their owners and are used as examples only. Their mention does not mean any partnership or endorsement.